In the light of the Qur'an and Hadith
in both of which the term hikmah has been used,1 Muslim
authorities belonging to different schools of thought have sought over the ages
to define the meaning of hikmah as well as falsafah, a term which
entered Arabic through the Greek translations of the second/eighth and
third/ninth centuries. On the one hand what is called philosophy in English
must be sought in the context of Islamic civilization not only in the various
schools of Islamic philosophy but also in schools bearing other names,
especially kalam, ma`rifah, usul al-fiqh as well as the awa'il sciences,
not to speak of such subjects as grammar and history which developed particular
branches of philosophy. On the other hand each school of thought sought to
define what is meant by hikmah or falsafah according to its own
perspective and this question has remained an important concern of various
schools of Islamic thought especially as far as the schools of Islamic
philosophy are concerned.
